Maxïmo Park, Schëppe Siwen, and a full day of free music!

Fête de la Musique returned to Dudelange on Saturday, 21 June, transforming the city into a sprawling open-air music venue with 13 stages, over 50 live performances, and a full day of free music. The 2025 edition features a headline set from UK indie favourites Maxïmo Park, alongside French pop-rock mainstay Cali and Luxembourg’s own Schëppe Siwen, a local success story that began on smaller stages and now closes the main stage as one of the country's most-loved live acts.

Festival organiser John Rech, speaking to Sam Steen earlier this week, explained how the festival has become a long-running, collaborative effort between artists, community groups, and local venues. “It’s pubs, it’s small stages, bigger stages. We’re working with the music school, with the local harmonies, with the DJs association. Then we just talk to everyone and see who comes up with good ideas,” he said. “It becomes like a big family event.”

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That family atmosphere runs through a programme that features blues, rock, ska, electronic, acoustic, and metal acts alongside children’s concerts, student ensembles, and late-night DJ sets. Highlights include American ska veterans The Toasters, blues guitarist Neal Black, and rising Luxembourgish artists like Marcy, Alfalfa, and Waffle Killers (winners of the Screaming Fields youth band contest). Rech recommends festivalgoers explore beyond the headliners. “Try The Kools on the Dudetown Stage. Marcy and Alfalfa are really cool acts. And Polyphonix at 2pm, they’ll surprise you with their energy.”

Asked how the event keeps growing, Rech was honest: “I’ve been thinking about it for fifteen months. I wanted to retire twelve years ago, but they wouldn’t let me.” Still, the motivation is clear: the festival is built around discovery and shared experience. “Every band we are inviting is our headliner. Otherwise, we wouldn’t invite them.”

Fête de la Musique in Dudelange is completely free, including park-and-ride services from the Cactus and State Laboratory zones, with shuttle buses bringing attendees into town. Music officially runs from 2pm until 1am, with afterparties continuing in local bars and venues until 3am. A prelude event takes place on Friday night at Église St Martin, where students from the Luxembourg City Conservatory will perform on the church organ.

For Rech, festivals like this are a chance to discover new favourites without breaking the bank. “Don’t go for the very expensive journeys to Munich to see one artist and spend all your budget in one day,” he said. “Come to festivals like this and discover fantastic new acts. You’ll be able to go home and say: I saw them before they were famous.”